ONTARIO — The Ontario/Chaffey Community Show Band will present its final concert of the 2013 season, “Disney Razzle Dazzle” on Monday, but it will also mark another special event.

The concert marks the end of an era as director Jack Mercer, who turns 90 next month, will become the Show Band’s director emeritus. After 65 years of directing bands and making major contributions to music education, Maestro Mercer will step aside. However, he plans to continue his association with the Show Band, but in a limited and more comfortable capacity. The Show Band’s associate conductor and arranger, Dr. Gabe Petrocelli, will take the baton and assume the duties as music director.

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. this free event will be held in the Gardiner Spring Auditorium on the campus of Chaffey High School, 1245 N. Euclid Ave.

This concert will feature several special guests including a guest conductor, Jim Christensen of Disney fame, the Sunshine Generation, and the Chaffey High School Wind Ensemble.

The concert will focus on the music of composer, arranger, and conductor Christensen, past music director for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. He is an internationally known composer and conductor whose credits also include work in films, radio and television commercials, albums for Capitol, Crest, Vista, Disneyland, and many other record companies. He has produced and arranged special material for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the Academy Awards Show, the Boston Pops, London Philharmonic, as well as hundreds of arrangements for Walt Disney Productions and the Pacific Pops Orchestra.

Christensen is well-known in the education field. Prior to coming to the West Coast, he spent seven years on the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin, and several years at the arranger of the West Point band.

The Show Band will perform a number of familiar Disney songs arranged by Christensen that include “It’s A Small World,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Supercalifragillisticexpialidocious.” Also featured on the program is Karen Christensen performing a flute and piccolo piece composed especially for her by her husband.

The Disney theme will be enhanced by musical performances from the “Sunshine Generation” under the direction of Katya Reimer. The Sunshine Generation is a national children’s performing group that offers singing, dancing, and performing. Classes are offered locally in San Dimas, Diamond Bar, Hacienda Heights, Brea, and Whittier.

As part of the Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band’s outreach program to schools and education, the concert will also include the Chaffey High School Wind Ensemble under the direction of band director Steve Yanik. It will perform several pieces with the Show Band, “An American Elegy” by Frank Ticheli conducted by Yanik and “The Bandmaster” by Dr. Gabe Petrocelli conducted by Mercer. “An American Elegy” was commissioned by the Columbine Commissioning Fund at the University of Colorado on behalf of the Columbine High School Band. It was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors.

“The Bandmaster” was composed in 2004 for Maestro Jack Mercer at the ceremony to commemorate the naming of Mercer Music Hall on the campus of Chaffey High.

As is the Show Band’s custom at the final concert of the season, a student from the Chaffey High School band program will be recognized with the annual Jack Mercer Scholarship of $500. The senior student, recommended by the principal and band director, is an individual who aspires to study music education in college and ultimately become a band directorr.

This year, the recipient is Blake Theilacker who will attend the UC Irvine. Blake was the lead alto saxophone in the jazz band, receiving numerous awards as a jazz soloist. He was also the first chair alto saxophone and the soloist on “An American Elegy.” In addition, Blake served as the drum major this past marching season, which was one of the most successful for the Chaffey High School Marching Tigers.